This invention is the result of my work involved in the rehabilitation of oiled sea otters. The March, 1989 Valdez accident was the first oil spill to involve large numbers of sea otters, as well as other marine birds and mammals. Although to date there has been over a score of larger spills than Valdez, the March, 1989 accident represents the first spill to affect so many sea otters. An estimated 16,000 otters inhabited the area affected by the oil (DeGange, et al. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Sea Otter Symposium, Anchorage, Ak. 1990. Consequently large numbers of the area's sea otters might have been involved (Townsend & Hereman, The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill: A Management Analysis, Cntr. Marine Conserv., DC 1989).
The Sea Otter Rehabilitation Program was developed in response to the need for such a program created by the Valdez spill. The Rehabilitation Program demonstrated that large numbers of oiled sea otters could be successfully rehabilitated following such an incident. However, the experience was often painful and always trying. The state of the art for rescuing, treating and rehabilitating marine animals at the time of the Valdez spill was woefully inadequate to accommodate a rehabilitation response of this nature and magnitude. The Rehabilitation Program led to many new and innovative techniques for treating fur-bearing marine mammals exposed to oil pollution. Prior to this experience, most aspects of the rehabilitation process were speculative and untested. Although break-through developments did occur in course of efforts to deal with the incident, and many stop-gap measures and responses were successful, there remained much need for improvement in many areas of the rehabilitation effort. This especially included a safe, easily storable and transportable means for holding sea otters, and other marine animals, during the course of their rehabilitation.
The present invention addresses the need for an improved holding facility for aquatic animals, particularly aquatic birds and fur-bearing mammals. The present invention embodies several improvements and advantages over cages and holding pens in use prior to and developed during the Valdez incident. The present invention specifically embodies improvements to maintain marine mammals and birds without injury. Additionally, the present invention embodies a vivarium which may be easily stored and readily transported in response to environmental emergency or other need.